AUTHOR'S NOTE:
As you guys might've noticed, I'll be uploading a chapter every three or so days instead of one every week.
Why? You may ask. Well, that's because we have about 70 chapters to go through in total, and if my calculations are correct, that would mean over a year of weekly publishes. So yeah... that's a bit much.
Currently I'm working on the last 4 chapters of this entire fanfiction, followed by me re-reading everything I haven't published and making sure everything is ready before each chapter comes online. This combined with work and my studies might take a little bit longer.
So in the future, after I've officially completed all of my chapters, there's a good chance that I'll be publishing a chapter every day. Since I don't want to bombard you all - and myself - with 60+ chapters all at once.
So, without further a do, enjoy chapter 5! ♡♡♡
--- reading starts here ---
Sigrid was almost five years old when she was able to carry her first axe. The weapon was small, fit for more delicate hands, but it was still a bit too large for the young girl.
But the firstborn child of Chief Stoick the Vast was stubborn, much like her father. Every raid, when the Vikings let out their battle cry and dragons spewed hellish fires on their wooden homes, Sigrid was prepared to go out there and fight. The problem; that she was merely a child, and there was no way that her father would allow her to go out there, especially by herself.
Tonight they were ambushed once more, and little Sigrid had jumped out of her bed with excitement. Her father had long tucked her in, and by the slamming of the front door she could tell he must've run outside already. As always, Sigrid was left home with baby Hiccup, who stayed silently in his crib, fast asleep.
Sneaking downstairs, the girl tried her best not to wake her baby brother, and snatched her newly favored axe from the floor; which she put there as she was in no way tall enough to reach the weapon rack.
"Aaaarghh!" Little Sigrid yelled as she burst out of the doors, axe raised above her.
If she were to slow down, she'd surely fall backwards, as the weight of the axe was still a bit too much for her smaller body. Suddenly, the girl noted that she wasn't running anymore, but instead lifted up -higher and higher.
"AAAH!" She screamed, frustrated as her plans were foiled.
The axe was pulled from her tiny hands, and her sky blue irises made contact with the frowning greens of another.
"Daddy!" Sigrid whined, struggling in Stoick's large hands. "I was going for it!"
"You're not going for anything, young lass." Her father spoke sternly, pointing a rough finger towards her accusingly. "You're staying home."
"But dad!" Sigrid whined as she was pulled back inside, almost waking up her baby brother as she was thrown back in bed, with an angry Stoick in front of her.
Stoick sighed. This had been the dozenth time already that she decided to run out there into the deadly battlefield. After she's grown up she'd make a fierce warrior for sure, but she wasn't there yet; she was way too young even for Berk's standards. But it seemed that no matter how many times the Chief tried to explain this, his daughter just didn't understand.
"Go to bed." He told her, pulling the covers over her figure, which she kicked off immediately.
Ignorantly, Stoick went back downstairs to run back into the field -the people of Berk needed him, and here he was playing child's games with his stubborn offspring. Tiny footsteps followed behind him, Sigrid wasn't giving up so easily.
"Sigrid, no." Stoick scolded at the little warrior, who glared at him at his refusal.
"But daddy, I can do it." Sigrid insisted, desperation clear in her small figure.
She just wanted to help, Stoick knew that. He sighed, kneeling down as he put a careful hand on her small shoulder.
"You can't, lass, not yet." He spoke, and he could see the sadness in his daughter's eyes.
He needed to do something to cheer her up, but what? Glancing over to the crib, where his son slept soundly, Stoick got an idea.
"I need you to stay home-" he started, watching his daughter frown, "-and take care of your brother, can you do that?"
Sigrid's eyes widened, still shining with tears, but now filled with purpose. The girl nodded quickly, before hesitating as she glanced from the floor to her father, hands clasped together behind her back as she spoke shyly.
"Yes." She started, swaying from side to side. "But, for that, I need my axe."
Ofcourse, Stoick sighed, but gave in nonetheless. Placing the heavy metal in his daughter's opened arms, they caved in slightly as the weight was put on, but Sigrid didn't falter. She smiled at her father, a small smile that told Stoick all he needed to know; that she was thankful.
"Take care, my dottir." Stoick spoke softly, reaching down to place a quick kiss on her forehead, before going off once again, leaving Sigrid - and Hiccup - alone in their home.
Sigrid inhaled deeply, swaying the axe over her shoulder - and almost falling over at the impact - as the handle rested on her collar. She gripped the handle with two sturdy hands, shoulders wide as she stood tall and proud. With determined heavy steps, Sigrid stomped back and forth around her brothers crib, ready to attack any reptilian intruder; but there came none.
Ever since that night, Sigrid vowed to always protect her little brother. And she kept true to that, even fifteen years later.
---
Hiccup had made them proud, and for the first time their father was also there to witness it. He and Astrid had fought hard for their place in the finale, but Hiccup had overthrown her by a landslide. But Sigrid was impressed when she saw the girl pull a few moves they practiced before, she sure had potential.
Sigrid and her father cheered from above the arena.
"That's my boy!" Stoick boisted, proud fist waving up in the air whilst his daughter whistled, giving her brother a proud thumbs up.
Hiccup had left the arena abruptly, and Sigrid could only assume he'd gone to prepare early. Killing a Monstrous Nightmare wasn't for the weak of heart, she knew that from experience. That reptile was fast, snappy, nasty and very fiery. But, after seeing her little brother work over the weeks, she believed that he did have to potential to do it, and be one of the greatest dragon slayers Berk had ever seen.
The following morning, the arena was filled with celebrating vikings, who cheered and yelled out in glee as they prepared for one of their favorite times of the year; the final test. The Berkians were proud, that much was clear, but no one was nearly as happy as Stoick.
Sigrid remembered the sight well, when she stepped into that ring for the last time. She remembered grabbing the broad stone hammer off the rack, glancing up at her father and thinking 'this is everything I've ever wanted'; to be a viking her tribe could be proud off. Granted, she'd nearly lost her arm to that Monstrous Nightmare, but in turn she'd beaten it to a pulp, slamming its face with the stone hammer - nearly knocking it unconscious - before chopping its head off with the sharpened axe. Morbid, but very successful.
"Go Hiccup!" Sigrid whistled to her brother, as he entered the arena. Hiccup glanced up at his sister, seemingly embarrassed at her excitement, which only made her chuckle.
The Monstrous Nightmare was flared up and ready, bursting out of his cage as it was released in the carved out ring. But something wasn't right.
Sigrid couldn't believe her eyes, as she saw her brother drop his dagger and shield, discarding it to the side as he held his hand up to the beast. She needed to get in there, for fear he'd soon need a metal hook replacement.
Hiccup spoke to the dragon gently, as if it were a scared child. His hands moved up to his helmet, one of the only remnants left of their mother - aside from Sigrid's own counterpart - and threw it aside, as if it were rotten.
"I'm not one of them."
The crowd was in shock, leaving redhead was confused; what is he doing?!
"Stop the fight." Stoick commanded, but Hiccup refused.
"No." The boy spoke, gaze fixated on the Nightmare. "I need you all to see this."
Slowly, and confidently, as if he'd done it a dozen times before, Hiccup moved his hand closer to the dragon, letting it approach with curious sniffs.
"They're not what we think they are." Hiccup assured. "We don't have to kill them."
"I said, stop the fight!" Stoick slammed his hammer into the metal ringed bars, dented it as it rung with a booming clang, sure to startle anyone close by.
The dragon's pupils slitted, alarmed. It took merely seconds before it darted its head towards Hiccup, snapping towards his outstretched hand, almost biting it clean off. Hiccup screamed in alarm, running as fast as he could as the Monstrous Nightmare spewed its deadly flames at him.
Stoick pushed through the crowd, running to boast through into the arena as quick as possible before his son was burned to a crisp. Sigrid wasn't as careful, however, as she quickly made her way up the metal bars, grasping onto the tightly pulled chains that covered the top of the fighting ring as she wormed her weaponed figure through the gaps.
If she were to jump down, she'd put herself in great danger, with no way out. But if that meant protecting her brother, she wouldn't hesitate. Her strong hands let go of the chains, letting herself drop to the floor, bending her knees as she steadied her fall. It was clear that the dragon got distracted at the new approaching figure, and that was exactly what Sigrid wanted.
The beast opened its mouth to spew another ray of flames towards her brother, but Sigrid was faster. With a heavy cry, she launched a grounded hammer towards the creature's face, hitting its jaw as its head slammed to the side, just like she'd done all those years ago.
"Here! You ugly beast!" Sigrid yelled with a booming voice as she snarled at the Nightmare, twirling her axe around as she taunted it.
But just as it prepared to dash at her, it was hit by another stone hammer, from the exit's corner. The agressor stood stiff, blue eyes fixated on the beast as she tried to protect the older Haddock from it's rage. But in turn, it only made the creature go for her.
"NO!" Sigrid yelled, as she prepared to drift the creature's attention from Astrid.
But it seemed that she didn't have to save Astrid from the flammable beast, as her father threw upon the protective gate, motioning for them to come to him.
"This way!" He yelled, pulling the young blonde Viking into safety, she was lucky to be close by.
Hiccup ran as fast as he could to his father's towering figure, his sister hot on his tail, they needed to get out of here.
The Monstrous Nightmare blasted a ball of fire to the side of the door, startling Hiccup as he slid on the ground, getting up and darting in the opposite direction, making Sigrid yell out to him.
"No Hiccup!" She swore, turning her pace around to protect her brother. "Leave!"
But her brother didn't listen, too panicked before he was tackled by the fearsome creature, who pinned him beneath it's long pointed claws. Sigrid's heart dropped to her stomach, her eyes glazed over with tears of rage, as the raised her axe to defend her brother from the beast.
The dangerously familiar blaring siren from the distance alarmed every Viking around, as a creature - swift as the light - blasted it's way through the metal bars, throwing itself into the arena, and filling the area with a thick layer of smoke.
Sigrid coughed as she slid to the floor. She couldn't see anything through the blackened mist, and she could only pray that her brother was alright. Slowly, the smoke cleared, and the screeching became louder. Sigrid's eyes widened at the sight before her.
"Nightfury." She gasped, seeing the black reptile tackle the Monstrous Nightmare to the ground, snapping towards its neck as the dragon tried its hardest to fight back.
Her sky blue eyes darted towards her brother's cowering figure, as he stared at the fighting dragons with worry. The Nightfury stood in front of Hiccup protectively, snarling at the Monstrous Nightmare, ready to defend the boy at any cost.
Sigrid couldn't believe it. A Nightfury, the number one mystery of the people of Berk was standing before her in broad daylight, saddle strapped on its back as it covered her Hiccup's small figure. It had her think twice about what her brother had been doing all these weeks, when no one was there to watch.
Vikings jumped down, left, right and around the arena as Hiccup ran up to the dragon, pushing against its snout, begging it to leave, but the Nightfury refused. The dragon easily swiped away any viking that ran at it, until her father ran at it with an axe in hand, watching as the Nightfury tackled him to the floor.
The dragon opened its mouth, green smoke clear in its pink throat as it prepared to fire.
"NO!" Hiccup yelled as Sigrid jumped on her feet, running towards the strong reptile to protect her father.
At Hiccup's cry, the dragon hesitated, before closing its mouth with a snort. Its head leaned to the side, glancing back at the short viking with large pupils, and for once Sigrid thought it seemed innocent.
Sigrid froze, but it seems she was the only one. Vikings tackled the reptile, who fell to the ground with a pained cry as men pushed down on its snout with great force, rendering it helpless as it flailed around. There was no way it was getting out.
The brown-haired boy begged them not to hurt it, pulled back by Astrid as he tried to run towards them. At this point, Sigrid didn't know what to think, as she watched the men carry the large beast towards the forged cages, with her brother calling out in protest.
Hiccup trained a Nightfury, and lived?! She felt sick to her stomach, but whether that was because of the betrayal to their tribe, or her brother's pained cries as he reached for the dragon - who had protected him from certain death - she wasn't sure.